Joseph Placide Bertrand
| Joseph Placide Bertrand | |
|---|---|
| J.P. Bertrand; Joseph Placide Théodore Bertrand | |
| Born | 1881 |
| Died | 1964-04-28 Port Arthur |
| Occupation | Historian |
Joseph Placide Théodore "J.P." Bertrand (1881 – 28 April 1964) was a historian of the Lakehead and a Lakeheadologist. The Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society's J.P. Bertrand Award for scholarly articles is named after him.[1][2]
Life and work
Bertrand arrived at the Lakehead in 1900 and, through numerous talks, articles and books, became a leading expert on the region's history. He was heavily involved in the Society in the 1940s and 1950s, including as a board member. His publications include Highway of Destiny, perhaps the first serious analysis of the history of Northwestern Ontario, and Timber Wolves, which the Society published in 1997.[1] Highway of Destiny: An Epic Story of Canadian Development (New York: Vantage Press, 1959; 301 pages, introduction by Alexander M. Phillips) deals with La Vérendrye, Alexander Mackenzie and the fur trade.[3]
A biographical article, "Joseph Placide Bertrand 1881–1964" by Jeanne McLean, appeared in Papers & Records XXVI (1998).[4] (The death-index age at death implies a birth year of about 1880.)
In Papers and Records (1967)
The 1967 issue is dedicated to him. According to its tribute he was born in St. Placide in 1880 (other sources give 1881), he came to Port Arthur in 1900 to work for the Pigeon River Lumber Company, moved to Winnipeg in 1920 as a sales manager, and returned to the Lakehead in 1937. He married Mary Manion in 1910, connecting him with Robert J. Manion; he wrote Highway of Destiny, was a past president of the Thunder Bay Historical Society, loved fly fishing at his camp on the Pearl River, and was given the honorary name Kagige-gabow by a local Indian band. He died on 28 April 1964.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Publication Awards. Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Fort William Daily Times-Journal, 28 April 1964, p. 1
- ↑ Highway of Destiny; An Epic Story of Canadian Development. AbeBooks. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Subject index to Papers & Records, Volumes I–LIII (1973–2025), compiled by F. Brent Scollie (January 2026). Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- ↑ "Dedication: Joseph Placide Bertrand 1880–1964", Papers to 1967, Centennial issue (Thunder Bay Historical Society, 1967), p. v. Archived: datum.locker.